Starting a new food business

The law requires all food businesses to understand the hazards associated with the food they handle and the controls necessary to ensure that public health is protected. This requires appropriate food safety procedures to be adopted and checks to ensure that hazards are properly controlled.

The nature of the food safety procedures and checks required will depend on the nature of the business and the types of food handled. For example, the requirements for a caterer producing ready to eat meals will be different to someone who makes cakes or sells vegetables.

The law requires procedures to be put in place based on the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). There is no one standard legal format, with every business free to adopt their own system, provided they can demonstrate the safety of the foods produced.

New food business

There is no fee payable to make a new application to register as a food business establishment and you are able to complete the online form. It is required for anyone dealing with food in their business activity; this includes home caterers. It also is a requirement for any new owner (food business operator) who is taking over an existing food business as a going concern.

Anapplication for the registration of a food business (opens new window) should be completed by food business operators in respect of new food business establishments. The application should then be received by the relevant Food Authority (meaning Breckland Council) 28 days before commencing food operations. In the case of a change of ownership, the registration form should be completed and returned as soon as possible.

Approved premises

Approved premises are businesses that handle meat or dairy products under certain circumstances. These are generally those who manufacture or wholesale these foods, and require strict regulation.

• Application for approval of a food establishment
• List of approved food premises in Breckland

Business-specific Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) packs

• Caterers (opens new window)
• Retailers/Shops/Local Supermarkets (opens new window)
• Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi & Sri Lankan (In English) (opens new window)
• Chinese (In Cantonese) (opens new window)
• Childminders (opens new window)
• Care Homes (not nursing homes) (opens new window)

Food diary documents

My diary is full. What should I do?

Download the diary or complete it electronically on the FSA website (opens new window). Details can also be found on how to use the food diary.

Translated documents

Opening and closing checks:

• Opening & Closing Checks Mandarin (PDF) [112KB] (opens new window)
• Opening & Closing Checks Turkish (PDF) [80KB] (opens new window)
• Opening & Closing Checks Bengali (PDF) [76KB] (opens new window)
• Opening & Closing Checks Portuguese (PDF) [9KB] (opens new window)

Four weekly review checks:

• 4 Weekly Checks Chinese (PDF) [232KB] (opens new window)
• 4 Weekly Checks Turkish (PDF) [88KB] (opens new window)
• 4 Weekly Checks Bengali (PDF) [44KB] (opens new window)
• 4 Weekly Checks Portuguese (PDF) [16KB] (opens new window)

Low risk food businesses (including voluntary and charity)

For people wanting to set up and run a food business from their own home Breckland Council has produced a guidance booklet (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window) .

In addition, Breckland has developed a number of checklists for various types of low risk food business. 

These checklists should be used in conjunction with a diary or note of non-conformances. Your Food Safety Officer will advise you further when they inspect you.

• Shops and Stalls selling wrapped low-risk foods only, including Health Foods, Dried Foods, Sweets, Frozen Foods and Chemists, Off-licences, Greengrocers and Farm-gate Sales (PDF) [41KB] (opens new window)
• Playgroups, Pre and After School Groups serving only drinks, biscuits etc and food provided by parents (PDF) [43KB] (opens new window)
• Low Throughput Poultry Slaughterhouses (Less than 10,000 per year) (PDF) [42KB] (opens new window)
• Village Halls, Community Centres not preparing food other than drinks and biscuits etc (PDF) [40KB] (opens new window)
• Bed and Breakfast Premises not serving evening meals (PDF) [41KB] (opens new window)
• Cold stores, warehouses, haulage depots, wholesalers, milk and other distributors, and bases for stalls and mobiles (PDF) [41KB] (opens new window)
• Home Caterers including cake makers (PDF) [45KB] (opens new window)